I’m honored again to be featured on another blogger’s site! Today, I’m in the Big Apple with Brooklyn Fit Chick!

How do I know Brooklyn Fit Chick? Margo was my power walking partner during the Fitbloggin’ 5K!

Neither one of us was eager to run that morning, so we were happy to find each other as we kept the same quick pace while walking. We couldn’t have been better paired as we chatted those 3.1 miles away that beautiful morning in Baltimore.

The Washington Place patio is a great place to be on a spring evening. I plan to return to make sure this is true during the summer time as well.

We ate and drank very well: they roasted a full pig, served an amazing spread of sides including baked beans, deviled eggs, coleslaw and more. The quality of the food was just as great as it was upon my first visit last November. As for the beverage, this photo says it all:

As the owners of Washington Place are proud supporters of Veggie U, they invited Farmer Lee Jones to speak to the group that evening. His main topic was the 9th annual Veggie U Food & Wine Celebration taking place on Saturday, July 16th on the grounds of The Culinary Vegetable Institute in Milan, Ohio.

The Veggie U Food & Wine Celebration is not just any food and wine event. This celebration brings together more than 1,000 guests and an array of culinary talents. The 2011 “celebrity chefs” include, just to name a few:

Jeni Britton Bauer – of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams fame

Chef Steve Ells – the founder of Chipotle, just featured on America’s Next Great Restaurant

Chef Amanda Freitag – has been on a variety of Food Network shows

Chef Aaron Sanchez – also has been on a variety of Food Network shows

Chef Jonathon Sawyer – from The Greenhouse Tavern

Chef Lee Anne Wong – of Top Chef and Brick and Mortar Pop Ups fame

This is Veggie U’s only fundraiser. Proceeds go towards its mission as Veggie U “is committed to fostering a synergy between educational, nutritional, and agricultural goals to combat the rising epidemic of childhood obesity.”

You can purchase tickets to the July 16th event at www.veggieufoodandwine.com or by calling 419-499-7500. Grand Tasting tickets are $145 each. But if you get nine of your closest friends to join you, the price drops to $125 each! Hurray for group rates!

Want a chance to win tickets to the July 16th Veggie U Food & Wine Celebration?Head over to Cleveland Foodie – you have to comment on this post by June 30th!

Want to support Veggie U sooner and closer to home?Veggie U has a tweet for you:

One of my favorite East side restaurants – Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar – will donate 20% of your bill towards Veggie U when you dine there on Tuesday, June 28th!! I don’t know about you all, but I will eat my weight in guacamole and fish tacos to benefit such a great cause!

As an individual that lived with and overcame her childhood obesity, I am proud to share this information and to help spread the word about Veggie U. I encourage you to check out their online resources for teachers and parents, as well as a plethora of recipes for you and your family to make and enjoy together!

Interested in dining at Paladar on Tuesday? June 28th just happens to be my last day at my current job – anyone up for a happy hour meet up?!

Full disclosure: I was invited to the media patio preview at Washington Place in May at which Farmer Lee Jones and the team from Veggie U offered a complimentary ticket to the July 16th event to each of the attendees. As always, my thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.